Apparatus for ventilating webs of textile material



3,302,304 APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed March 17, 1964 R. GOLDENBERG ETAL Feb. 7, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOPS ROLF GOLDENBERG FRIEDRICH ULRICHS BY ihQ/I' A TTGRNE V APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed March 17, 1964 R. GOLDENBERG ETAL Feb. 7, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOPSI v ROLF GOLDENBER( FRIEDRlCH ULRlCHS BY Meir ATTORNEV IOa R. GOLDENBERG ETAL APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERTAL Filed March 17, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENTORS; ROLF GOLDENBERG FR'EDR'CH ULRICHS "l" 1}, (1,7, If 11"" their ATTOPNEV R. GOLDENBERG ETAL APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed March 1'7, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS: ROLF GOLDENBERG glyQ IEDRICH ULRICHS their ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,302,304 APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEES 0F TEXTILE MATERIAL Rolf Goldenberg and Friedrich Ulrichs, Remscheid-Lennep, Germany, assignors to Maschinenfabrik Friedrich Haas G.m.b.H. & (10., Remscheid-Lennep, Germany Filed Mar. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 352,616 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 19, 1963,

Claims. (Cl. 34-159) The present invention relates to apparatus for ventilating webs of cloth, linen and other types of textile material. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved ventilating and heating or drying apparatus for travelling webs of textile material.

It is an important object of our invention .to provide a very compact, comparatively simple, and highly effective apparatus which may be utilized for ventilating and/ or heating a continuous web of travelling textile material in a small area and in such a way that all zones or sections of the web are treated to the same extent and without any damage to its material.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the just outlined characteristics which may be rapidly and conveniently converted for treatment of different textile materials, which may be rapidly and conveniently converted to subject a given material to different forms of treatment by contact with a gas, and which may subject a travelling web of textile material to a series of different treatments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for ventilating, heating and drying webs of textile material wherein both sides of the web are subjected to simultaneous treatment of requisite intensity, wherein both sides of each section of the travelling web are subjected to equal treatment, and wherein such treatment may be effected by simultaneous prevention of shrinkage and flapping.

An additional object of the instant invention is to provide a combined ventilating and drying apparatus wherein substantial lengths of a 'web may be treated simultaneously, in a small area, and with small quantities of a gaseous fluid so that the operation is very economical and may be carried out at low cost with minimum consumption of energy.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the above outlined characteristics wherein the Web may be subjected to the action of a very large number of minute streams of ventilating, drying and/or heating fluid to make sure that such minute streams cannot damage the material and that such minute streams cannot change the mesh or other characteristics of the material.

A concomitant object of the invention is to provide a combined ventilating and heating or drying apparatus for travelling webs of textile material which is especially suited for treatment of comparatively wide webs, wherein such wide webs may be advanced at considerable speed to raise the output without in any way affecting the quality of treatment, wherein theexact nature of treatment may be changed without necessitating stoppage of the Web, and wherein a laminated (multi-layer) web may be treated in the same way as a web consisting of a single layer of textile material.

With the above objects in view, one feature of our invention resides in the provision of an apparatus for ventilating travelling webs of cloth, linen and similar textile materials. In one of its preferred forms, the apparatus comprises a conveyor which is arranged to advance a web of textile material in a meandering path and which includes a first and a second row of substantially parallel guide rollers extending transversely of the path. The rows of rollers are respectively adjacent to a first and to a second side of the path whereby the two sides are located opposite each other, and the web is trained alternatively around the rollers of the first and second rows so as to form a plurality of panels extending substantially transversely between the first and second sides and defining between themselves a first and a second group of open ended pockets whereby the pockets of the first group alternate with the pockets of the second group and the first and second groups of pockets respectively extend from the first side toward the second side and from the second side toward the first side of the meandering path. The apparatus further comprises a first plenum chamber including a portion adjacent to the first side of the path and comprising a plurality of nozzles provided with polygonal, circular and/or slit-shaped orifices each arranged to discharge stre-ams of compressed gas into one pocket of the first group, and a second plenum chamber including a portion adjacentto the second side of the path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each having polygonal, circular and/or slit-shaped orifices arranged to discharge streams of compressed gas into one pocket of the second group so that each side of each panel is contacted by streams of gaseous fluid. t

Each plenum chamber is preferably provided with means for heating the streams of gaseous fluid before such streams enter the respective pockets, and it is also preferred to construct the plenum chambers in such a way that gases which are discharged from one of the plenum chambers are collected by the other plenum chamber, and vice versa.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the ap pended claims. The improved ventilating apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional features and advantages thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic longitudinal vertical section through a two-stage ventilating apparatus which embodies one form of our invention;

FIG. 1a is a transverse vertical section substantially as seen in the direction of arrows from the line I-I of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a somewhat schematic longitudinal vertical section through a modified ventilating apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a similar fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through a third ventilating apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through a fourth ventilating apparatus with adjustable nozzles;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through the ventilating apparatus of FIG. 1 and illustrates the manner of driving the conveying rollers;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section substantially as seen in the direction of arrows from the line VII-VII of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through a fifth ventilating apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section through a sixth ventilating apparatus;

FIG. 10 is a transverse vertical section substantially as seen in the direction of arrows from the line XX of FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified nozzle with rows of slot-shaped orifices which may be utilized in the ventilating apparatus of our invention;

FIG. 11a is a fragmentary side elevational view of a nozzle with continuous slot-shaped orifices;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a nozzle with circular orifices which are in part nearer to and in part more distant from each other; and

FIG. 12a is a similar fragmentary side elevational view of a nozzle with slot-shaped orifices.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 1a, there is shown an apparatus belonging to the class generally known as hotflues and serving to ventilate and to simultaneously heat a continuous web of textile material while the web travels in a meandering path. The apparatus comprises a housing 1 having a Web-admitting aperture 1a, a webdischarging aperture 112, and being mounted on a fixed base 2. This housing accommodates a conveyor including a first or upper row of driven conveying rollers 3 and a second or lower row of driven conveying rollers 4. The rollers 3 are staggered with reference to the rollers 4 and the two rows of rollers are respectively adjacent to the upper side and to the underside of the path in which the web 5 advances from the aperture 1a to the aperture 1b. In other words, the two rows are disposed at the opposite sides of the path for the web 5 and their rollers are horizontal and parallel to each other. The web 5 is trained alternatively around the rollers 3 and 4 in such a way that it forms a large number of vertical or nearly vertical panels 5a which define a first group of open-ended pockets 11 and a second group of open-ended pockets 14. The open ends or inlets 11a of the first group of pockets 11 are located between the adjacent rollers 3, and the open ends or inlets 14a of the pockets 14 are located between the adjacent rollers 4. It will be noted that the pockets 11 extend from the upper side toward the underside of the path for the web 5, and that the pockets 14 extend from the underside toward the upper side of this path.

The apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 1a further comprises a pair of plenum chambers 7, 10. The plenum chamber 7 comprises a first portion 7a which is adjacent to and is located at a level above the roller 3 forming the lefthand part of the upper row, and the plenum chamber 10 includes a first portion 10a located beneath the rollers 4 forming the left-hand part of the lower row. The chamber portion 7a is formed with a series of elongated horizontal nozzles 6 each of which extends into one of the inlets 11a, and the chamber portion 10a is formed with a series of elongated horizontal nozzles 13 each of which extends into one of the inlets 14a. The height of each nozzle, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the panels, approximates the diameters of a roller 3 or 4, and each of these nozzles is provided with one or more horizontal rows of orifices (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 1a) which discharge streams of compressed air or another suitable gaseous fluid serving to ventilate and to heat the material of the web 5. The arrows 6a, 13a indicate the direction of air flow immediately after the streams issue from the respective nozzles. Such streams come in intimate contact with both sides of each panel which is momentarily located in the space between the first chamber portions 7a, 10a so that such panels are thoroughly aerated and that the streams withdraw moisture if the web is introduced in wet or moist condition. The chamber portions 7a, 10a respectively accommodate two compressors here shown as rotary radial fans 8, 8a of known construction which compress the air and direct it toward the respective nozzles. These chamber portions further accommodate two electric heaters 9, 12 which are located in the path of air flowing to the nozzles 6, 13 so that the air is heated prior to entering the respective pockets. For example, the web 5 of FIG. 1 may be driven at a speed of l40150 meters per mintue and the heaters 9, 12 may heat air to a temperature of 150 C.

As shown in FIG. 1a, the plenum chamber 7 comprises two vertically extending portions 7b,- 70 which are adjacent to the vertical edges of the panels 5a and which have a series of vertical compartments to collect air from the pockets 14. Similarly, the lower plenum chamber 10 comprises two vertically extending portions 10b, which have a series of vertical compartments to collect air from the pockets 11. In other words, each pocket has two vertically extending lateral outlets whereby the outlets of the pockets 11 communicate with the portions 10b, 10c of the lower plenum chamber 10 and the outlets of the pockets 14 communicate with the portions 7b, 7c of the upper plenum chamber 7. The fan 8 draws air from the chamber portions 7b, 70 to circulate such air through the chamber portion 7a and through the upper nozzles 6, and the fan 8a draws air from the chamber portions 10b, 10c to circulate it through the chamber portion 10a and through the lower nozzles 13. Such construction results in a very compact ventilating apparatus which utilizes small quantities of air but is capable of rapidly and thoroughly ventilating and drying all zones of each panel 5a.

In the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and la, the housing 1 accommodates a second pair of plenum chambers 15, 17 which are located downstream of the plenum chambers 7, 10 and which respectively accommodate fans 16, 16a. The first chamber portions 15a, are provided with nozzles 6', 13' and accommodate heaters 9', 12 so that streams of air issuing from the orifices of these nozzles are heated prior to impinging against the panels 5a which extend between the right-hand rollers 3 and 4. It goes without saying that the plenum chambers 15, 17 also comprise vertically extending second portions whose compartments collect streams of air from the pockets 11, 14, i.e., the operation of the parts in the second stage of the apparatus is exactly the same as that of the parts in the first stage including the plenum chambers 7 and 10. For example, the heaters 9, 12' may be adjusted in such a way that the panels 5a passing between the plenum chambers 15, 17 are subjected to the action of cooler air streams. It is also obvious that the circuit of each heater may be opened or completed independently of the other heaters so that the operators may change from ventilation to ventilation and heating, and that the operators are also in a position to regulate the heating eflect as the need may be. If necessary, the apparatus of our invention may be a threeor four-stage ventilator, i.e., its housing may accommodate three or more pairs of plenum chambers. It is further to be noted that the nozzles 6, 6, 13 and 13' may be replaced by nozzles which discharge streams of compressed air through orifices in the form of elongated slots, that such slots may alternate with circular orifices, and that the orifices may discharge streams of air in directions other than vertically so that each stream includes a component which is perpendicular to and a component which is parallel with the nearest panels 5a.

The apparatus of FIG. 2 is quite similar to the apparatus of FIG. 1, and its parts are designated by similar numerals. The main difference between the two apparatus is that the nozzles 6, 6' and 13, 13 are respectively replaced by nozzles 18, 19 whose height is such that each thereof extends to a point substantially midway between the rows of rollers 3 and 4. The nozzles 18, 19 are of identical construction and four nozzles 18 are illustrated on a greater scale in FIG. 3. It will be noted that each of these nozzles comprises four pairs of orifices in the form of horizontal slots 20, 21, 22, 22a, and each of these slots discharges a stream of compressed gaseous fluid in a direction substantially at right angles to the nearest panel 5a. Each of the slots 21, 22, 22a is of trapeziform cross section whereas the lowermost (innermost) slots 20 extend between pairs of horizontal walls. The cross-sectional area of each nozzle 18 diminishes in a direction from the chamber portion 7a toward the chamber portion 10a.

The apparatus of FIGS. 2 and 3 is particularly suited for very intensive ventilation and drying of webs. It will be noted that, in contrast to the construction shown in FIG. 1, the nozzles 20-22a discharge streams of compressed gas in directions substantially at right angles to the panels 5a but it is equally possible to provide the apparatus of FIG. 1 or 2 with both types of nozzles so that each panel will be contacted by streams of gas which are in part perpendicular and in part parallel to its plane.

FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a further ventilating apparatus having an upper plenum chamber provided with a series of elongated horizontal nozzles 23 which extend into the inlets 11a of pockets 11. Each nozzle 23 comprises two orifices or groups of orifices 23a, 23b which discharge streams of compressed gas against the respective panels 5a in such a way that the streams impinge at an acute angle. The lower end of each nozzle 23 is closed by a prismatic baffle plate 24 which directs streams of gas through the orifices 23a, 23b in a such a way that each stream has a component parallel with and a component perpendicular to the nearest panel 5a. The construction of the lower nozzles (not shown) which direct streams of air into the pockets 14 is identical. The height of each nozzle 23 exceeds somewhat the diameter of a conveying roller 3 so that the orifices 23a, 23b discharge gas against non-supported portions of the panels. Each nozzle 23 preferably extends the full length of the respective inlet 11a.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a portion of a ventilating apparatus having rows of elongated horizontal nozzles 25 which are quite similar to but somewhat shorter than the nozzles 18 of FIG. 3. Each nozzle 25 is provided with four rows of orifices 28 which discharge streams of compressed gas substantially at right angles to the planes of the panels 5a. The rate of gas discharge may be controlled by valve stems 26 which are reciprocable in the respective valves 25 and which are provided with heads 27 serving to control the flow of gas to the corresponding rows of orifices 28. The valve stems 26 may be manipulated from the exterior of the housing, not shown in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate in greater detail the construction of the conveyor for the apparatus of FIGS. 1 and la. The conveyor comprises a first series of pulleys 31 which are secured to shafts 3a of the upper rollers 3, a second series of pulleys 32 which are secured to shafts 4a of the lower rollers 4, an upper endless flexible belt 29 which is trained around the pulleys 31, a lower endless flexible belt 30 which is trained around the pulleys 32, tensioning rolls 33, 35 for the upper belt 29, tensioning rolls 34, 36 for the lower belt 30, a variable-speed gear motor 37 mounted on a bracket 37a carried by the housing 1, a third endless belt 38 which is trained around pulleys 41, 40 respectively mounted on the output shaft of the motor and on one of the shafts 4a, and a fourth endless belt 39 which is trained around pulleys 42, 43 respectively provided on one of the shafts 3a and one of the shafts 4a.

All of the pulleys 31, 32 are driven at the same speed to insure that the panels 5a remain taut which in turn improves the ventilating and drying effect of air streams issuing from the nozzles 6, 13. Furthermore, the motor 37 may be adjusted to regulate the speed of the web 5, i.e., the duration of contact between the panels 5a and the streams of air discharged from the plenum chambers 7, 10. If the panels 5a remain taut, the web is less likely to contract during drying and, furthermore, by simultaneously varying the speed of the motor 37 and the speed of the fans 8, 8a, the operators may adjust the appaartus to subject the web 5 to optimum ventilating and/ or drying action. It was found that the ventilating effect is much less satisfactory if the panels are allowed to flutter in the wind which is created by air streams circulating in the pockets 11, 14; in fact, the ventilating effect may be detrimental if the panels are too loose. In other words, the speed of the web should be properly related to the action of air streams if the apparatus is to produce an optimum ventilating and drying effect.

The tensioning rolls 35, 36 are adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the panels 5a (arrows 35a, 36a) so as to maintain the belts 29, 30 under requisite tension.

The rollers 3, 4 between the plenum chambers 15, 17 are rotated by a system of belts similar to the one shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and such belts may be driven by the motor 37 or by a second variable-speed motor. If necessary, the direction of rotation of the rollers may be reversed so that the web travels first between the chambers 15, 17 and thereupon between the chambers 7, 10.

FIG. 8 illustrates a further ventilating and heating apparatus which comprises two sets of different nozzles. The lenum chambers 103, 104 in the first stage of the apparatus are provided w ith horizontal nozzles 105, 106 which are spaced from the inlets 11a, 14a and which discharge streams of compressed air in directions substantially parallel to the panels 5a. The nozzles are are short protuberances in the bottom Wall of the chamber portion 103a, and the nozzles 106 in the upper wall of the chamber portion 104a are of similar construction. Each of these nozzles may be provided with one or more rows of horizontal orifices or with a single slot-shaped orifice whose length approximates the width of the web 5. It will :be noted that the nozzles 105 are located at a level just above the row of upper rollers 101 and that the nozzles 106 are located at a level just below the lower rollers 102. Such construction is of advantage in servicing of the apparatus because the nozzles and the conveying rollers are more readily accessible. If desired, the nozzles 105, 106 may extend partially into the inlets 11a,14a.

The second stage of the apparatus shown in FIG. 8 comprises two plenum chambers 107, 108 which are formed with nozzles 109, similar to the nozzles 18 or 25. The nozzles 109, 110 have circular, polygonal or slot-shaped orifices 112, 113 which discharge streams of compressed air at right angles or at an acute angle with reference to the planes of the panels 5a. It was found that the effect of air streams is particularly satisfactory if the height of the nozzles approximates onethird of the length of a pocket 11 or 14. It goes without saying that the apparatus of FIG. 8 also comprises fans and heating devices which may be of the same construction as described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 1a.

Since the web 5 undergoes treatment in two consecutiv-e stages, the rollers 101, 102 between the chambers 107, 108 need not be as readily accessible as those between the chambers 103, 104 because, once the web has undergone preliminary treatment, there is less likelihood that the panels require adjustment while travelling in the space between the chambers 107, 108. Therefore, the nozzles 109, 110 may extend into and beyond the inlets of the pockets 11, 14.

FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate a portion of an appa atus wherein the nozzles 115 (only one shown) are provided with rows of orifices 117 which are in part perpendicular and in part slightly inclined with reference to the panels 5a. The height 114 of each nozzle approximates onethird of the depth of a pocket 11 or 14, i.e., about onethird of the distance 116 between the opposite sides of the path for the web 5.

The diameters of the orifices 117 decrease in directions toward the vertical edges of the panels 5a to insure uniform distribution of air to all zones of each panel. The same effect can be achieved by forming the nozzle 115 with orifices of the same cross-sectional area and by distributing the orifices in such a Way that the distance between the orifices is the smallest in the central part of the nozzle and increases in directions toward both longitudinal ends of the nozzle, i.e., toward the marginal portions of the panels 5a.

The arrows, 118, 119 indicate the direction of air streams which issue from the orifices 117 and which are deflected laterally toward the marginal portions of the panels a to enter the second portions of the respective plenum chambers in the same way as described in connection with FIG. la.

FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of a nozzle 115a which is provided with horizontal rows of aligned slot-shaped orifices 120. FIG. lla shows a portion of a similar nozzle 11512 having rows of slot-shaped orifices 121 which extend substantially all the Way bewteen the longitudinal ends of the nozzle. It will be noted that the orifices 120, 121 are provided in the inner portions of the respective nozzles, namely, in such portions which extend further into the respective pockets. This insures that streams of air issuing from the orifices 120 or 121 impinge against such portions of the panels which are not supported by conveying rollers. In other words, the distance 114a in FIG. 11 or 11a at least equals the radius of a conveying roller. While the streams of air need not always penetrate through the panels, they should preferably penetrate into the material of the web to produce a superior ventilating and drying effect. Their elasticity or fiexbility enables the panels to yield, to a certain extent, to stronger air streams so that the overall effect of such streams is quite uniform in all zones of the panels.

FIG. 12 illustrates a portion of a nozzle 115c which is provided with a large number of small circular or polygonal orifices 122 whereby the distance between the orifices in the longitudinal end portions of the nozzle exceeds the distance between the orifices in the central portion of the nozzle. The inner (lower) portion of the nozzle is of trapeziform shape so that, even if the distance between all of the orifices 122 were the same, its central portion still accommodates a greater number of orifices to insure uniform distribution of air along all zones of each panel.

The nozzle 115d shown in FIG. 12a is quite similar to the nozzle 1156 but is provided with rows of slotshaped orifices 123. The orifices 122, 123 are provided in such portions of the nozzles 115e, 115d which are located between non-supported portions of the panels.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features which fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic and specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for ventilating webs of textile material, comprising a conveyor arranged to advance a web of textile material in a meandering path having a first side and a second side located opposite said first side, said conveyor including a first and a second row of substantially parallel rollers extending transversely of said path and respectively adjacent to the first and second sides thereof, the web being trained alternatively around the rollers of said first and second rows so as to tform a plurality of panels extending substantially transversely between said first and second sides and defining between themselves a first and a second group of pockets whereby the pockets of the first group alternate with the pockets of the second group and said first and second groups of pockets respectively extend from the first side toward the second side and from the second side toward the first side of said path, each of said pockets having an inlet extending between two rollers of the respective row and at least one outlet extending substantially at right angles to said inlet; a plurality of first plenum chambers each including a first portion adjacent to the first side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at leaste one stream of compressed gas into be secured by one pocket of said first group; and a plurality of second plenum chambers each including a first portion adjacent to the second side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of said second group so that each side of each panel is contacted by such gas, each of said plenum chambers further including a second portion in communication with the outlets of one of said groups of panels and compressor means arranged to circulate the gas from the second into the first portion of the respective plenum chamber, the second portions of said first plenum chambers communicating only with the outlets of said second group of pockets and the second portions of said second plenum chambers being in communication only With the outlets of said first group of pockets.

2. An apparatus for ventilating webs of textile material, comprising a conveyor arranged to advance a web of textile material in a meandering path having a first side and a second side located opposite said first side, said conveyor including a first and a second row of substantially parallel rollers extending transversely of said path and respectively adjacent to the first and second sides thereof, the web being trained alternatively around the rollers of said first and second rows so as to form a plurality of panels extending substantially transversely between said first and second sides and defining between themselves a first and a second group of open-ended pockets whereby the pockets of the first group alternate with the pockets of the second group and said first and second groups of pockets respectively extend from the first side toward the second side and from the second side toward the first side of said path, each of said openended pockets of said first group of pockets having an outlet along one transversal edge of the respective pocket and each of said open-ended pockets of said second group of pockets having an outlet along the opposite transversal edge of the respective pocket; a plurality of first plenum chambers each including a portion adjacent to the first side of said path and comprising a plurality of elongated nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of. said first group; and a plurality of second plenum chambers each including a portion adjacent to the second side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of said second group so that each side of each panel is contacted by such gas, each of said nozzles comprising a portion extending beyond the nearest rollers and into the interior of the respective pocket and each of said first plenum chambers communicating only with said Outlets of said second group of pockets and each of said second plenum chambers communicating only with said outlets of said first group of pockets.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said nozzles are provided with orifices which discharge streams of compressed gas in directions at an acute angle with reference to the planes of said panels.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said nozzles are provided with orifices and wherein the distribution of orifices is such that the combined cross-sectional area of orifices in the central portion of each nozzle exceeds the combined cross-sectional area of orifices at the longitudinal ends of the nozzles.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional areas of orifices in the central portions of the nozzles exceed the cross-sectional areas of orifices at the longitudinal ends.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional areas of the orifices are the same and wherein the distance betwen the orifices in the central portions of the nozzles is less than that between the orifices at the longitudinal ends of the nozzles 7. An apparatus for ventilating webs of textile material, comprising a conveyor arranged to advance a web of textile material in a meandering path having a first side and a second side located opposite said fist side, said conveyor including a first and a second row of substantially parallel rollers extending transversely of said path and respectively adjacent to the first and second sides thereof, the web being trained alternatively around the rollers of said first and second rows so as to form a plurality of panels extending substantially transversely between said first and second sides and defining between themselves a first and a second group of open-ended pockets whereby the pockets of the first group alternate with the pockets of the second group and said first and second groups of pockets respectively extend from the first side toward the second side and from the second side toward the first side of said path, each of said open-ended pockets of said first group of pockets having an outlet along one transversal edge of the respectivee pocket and each of said open-ended pockets of .said second group of pockets having an outlet along the opposite transversal edge of the respective pocket; a first plenum chamber having inlet means communicating only with said outlets of said second group of pockets and including a portion adjacent to the first side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of. said first group; and a second plenum chamber having inlet means communicating only with said outlets of said first group of pockets and including a portion adjacent to the second side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of said second group so that each side of each panel is contacted by such gas.

8. An apparatus for ventilating webs of textile material, comprising a conveyor arranged to advance a web of textile material in a meandering path having a first side and a second side located opposite said first side, said conveyor including a first and a sec-nd row of substantially parallel rollers extending transversely of said path and respectively adjacent to the first and .seoond sides thereof, the web being trained alternatively around the rollers of said first and second rows so as to form a plurality of panels extending substantially transversely between said first .and second sides and defining between themselves a first and a second group of open-ended pockets whereby the pockets of the first group alternate with the pockets of the second group and said first and second groups of pockets respectively extend from the first side toward the second side and from the second side toward the first side of said path, each of said open-ended pockets of said first group of pockets having an outlet along one transversal edge of the respective pocket and each of said open-ended pockets of said second group of pockets having an outlet along the opposite transversal edge of the respective pocket, said convey-or further including a pair of flexible elements each operatively connected with one row of said rollers to drive the same, and motor means for driving said flexible elements at identical speed; a first plenum chamber having inlet means communicating only with said outlets of said second group of pockets and including a portion adjacent to the first side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of said first group; and a second plenum chamber having inlet means communicating only with said outlets of said first group of. pockets and including a portion adjacent to the second side of said path and comprising a plurality of nozzles each arranged to discharge at least one stream of compressed gas into one pocket of said second group so that each side of each panel is contacted by such gas.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said flexible elements are endless belts trained around pulleys coaxially secured to the respective rollers, and wherein said conveyors further comprises means for adjusting the tension of said belts.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said motor means comprises a variable-speed motor so that the speed of the web may be regulated to be in a predetermined relationship with the ventilating effect of compressed gas issuing from said nozzles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 690,629 1/1902 Barber 34-159 2,731,732 1/195'6 Harris et al 34-16O X 2,758,356 8/1956 Kawaguchi 34-159 X 2,780,878 2/1957 Sanborn et a1 34-159 3,088,224 5/1963 Cohn et al. 34-159 3,102,009 8/1963 Blonn 34-159 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,296,239 5/ 1962 France.

883,136 7/1953 Germany.

DONLEY .T. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Examiner.

A. D. HERRMANN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APPARATUS FOR VENTILATING WEBS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL, COMPRISING A CONVEYOR ARRANGED TO ADVANCE A WEB OF TEXTILE MATERIAL IN A MEANDERING PATH HAVING A FIRST SIDE AND A SECOND SIDE LOCATED OPPOSITE SAID FIRST SIDE, SAID CONVEYOR INCLUDING A FIRST AND A SECOND ROW OF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL ROLLERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID PATH AND RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT TO THE FIRST AND SECOND SIDES THEREOF, THE WEB BEING TRAINED ALTERNATIVELY AROUND THE ROLLERS OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ROWS SO AS TO FORM A PLURALITY OF PANELS EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERLELY BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIDES AND DEFINING BETWEEN THEMSELVES A FIRST AND A SECOND GROUP OF POCKETS WHEREBY THE POCKETS OF THE FIRST GROUP ALTERNATE WITH THE POCKETS OF THE SECOND GROUP AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND GROUPS OF POCKETS RESPECTIVELY EXTEND FROM THE FIRST SIDE TOWARD THE SECOND SIDE AND FROM THE SECOND SIDE TOWARD THE FIRST SIDE OF SAID PATH, EACH OF SAID POCKETS HAVING AN INLET EXTENDING BETWEEN TWO ROLLERS OF THE RESPECTIVE ROW AND AT LEAST ONE OUTLET EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID INLET; A PLURALITY OF FIRST PLENUM CHAMBERS EACH INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION ADJACENT TO THE FIRST SIDE OF SAID PATH AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF NOZZLES EACH ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE AT LEAST ONE STREAM OF COMPRESSED GAS INTO ONE POCKET OF SAID FIRST GROUP; AND A PLURALITY OF SECOND PLENUM CHAMBERS EACH INCLUDING A FIRST PORTION ADJACENT TO THE SECOND SIDE OF EACH PATH AND COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF NOZZLES EACH ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE AT LEAST ONE STREAM OF COMPRESSED GAS INTO ONE POCKET OF SAID SECOND GROUP SO THAT EACH SIDE OF EACH PANEL IS CONTACTED BY SUCH GAS, EACH OF SAID PLENUM CHAMBERS FURTHER INCLUDING A SECOND PORTION IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE OUTLETS OF ONE OF SAID GROUPS OF PANELS AND COMPRESSOR MEANS ARRANGED TO CIRCULATE THE GAS FROM THE SECOND INTO THE FIRST PORTION OF THE RESPECTIVE PLENUM CHAMBER, THE SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID FIRST PLENUM CHAMBERS COMMUNICATING ONLY WITH THE OUTLETS OF SAID SECOND GROUP OF POCKETS AND THE SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID SECOND PLENUM CHAMBERS BEING IN COMMUNICATION ONLY WITH THE OUTLETS OF SAID FIRST GROUP OF POCKETS. 